


Seeing Red

by murakistags



Category: Naruto
Genre: Anger, Canon-Typical Violence, Light Sadism, Mild Blood, Short One Shot, Soul-Searching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 19:57:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7236328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/murakistags/pseuds/murakistags
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Usually well-practiced and calculated with strikes, Yakushi Kabuto is a man of pecularity and order. So when he blinks and sees the deep red blood still actively running down the face and neck of Sasuke in front of him, Kabuto is shocked to learn that he has no memory of making a decision to strike the boy.”</p><p>A rare, openly angry side of Kabuto surfaces.</p><p>Short. One-shot. Re-published. Original publish date: 11.02.2012.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Seeing Red

Kabuto was always reserved by default. He knew the implications of being upset and letting emotions tether on either nonexistent or overly-blatant. So he was a comfortable in-between and thus his serene personality was nearly always displayed. The physiological implications were also at stake of being overly upset or passive. Adrenaline and anger causes surges of hormones, electrical signals in synapses within one's body. If nothing else, the extreme and unnecessary emotions, Kabuto thought, were tiring and a waste of time to exude for that reason. If the term “seeing red” was anything to consider at such a spike in the reaction time and swiftness of judgement by humans, it'd be blissfully wonderful to be overly angry at times. …If it didn't cloud one's mind with pure rage, that is. It was something to work on, something to learn to suppress.

The silver-haired medical ninja wasn't interested in the least with petty displays of emotion. And he never became angry unless pushed far past the limit of his already extended patience level. It was even in his nature to fight calmly, to expend just enough energy to win a fight, nothing more and nothing less. Everything was accurate in that way, precise, just the way he preferred it.

So when his tightly clenched fist collided with the nose of the young Uchiha before him, he wasn't the only one that was surprised in that moment. The sickening thud of his fist against the boy's face, and the eerie crack that followed not seconds later, was music to Kabuto's ears for a second…before it actually sunk in. The raven-haired male stumbled backwards, barely able to keep on his feet at the sheer power of the punch. Kabuto had shoved chakra to his hand in that instant, aiming a sharp jolt of his energy through his fist to strike the boy harder than he believed he did…even when Sasuke shouted loudly in pain and fresh crimson liquid spurted from his nostrils.

Kabuto was panting, chest heaving for no apparent reason, hand still in a fist at his side as he looked at the bleeding younger boy before him.

"Y-You!," Sasuke shouted, wide-eyed and cringing in (hastily, embarrassingly repressed) pain, voice nearly cracking in sheer disbelief. "You… you broke my nose!"

Kabuto stared at him, blinking a few times before straightening up, looking momentarily confused.

"I…," the silver-haired swallowed, brows furrowing in thought as he watched the blood trickle down the boy's neck before him. His glance shifted to the side for a moment, clearing his throat before realizing what he had just done, before realizing the slight unwitting trickle of _satisfaction_ in his veins. "…Hm."

  
A long string of curses and rage spewed from Sasuke a few feet away in the moment and Kabuto came to his senses, plastered an emotionless expression on his face, standing straight and relaxing himself back into his normal serenity. His voice was absolutely calm despite the current situation.

“Mind your tongue, Sasuke-kun,” he spoke slowly, eyes watching the other male attempt to touch his tender broken nose, trying to staunch the bleeding. “You'd do well to not speak of Lord Orochimaru as such.”

Kabuto seemed outwardly normal to Sasuke. His normal placid self that the Uchiha was ready to beat the hell out of. The calmness only served to make Sasuke more angry, after all. He couldn't stand it.

But inwardly, Kabuto was in a momentary state of shock. Never had he lashed out so ruthlessly without reason. He always contemplated the situation, weighed the risks and analyzed data before making a move, so he was always preemptively striking, always one step ahead. This time, however, he didn't think– and that was exactly what has him alarmed. He had never felt such a rush, such a carnal need to inflict pain in an instant. Usually well-practiced and calculated with strikes, Kabuto is a man of pecularity and order, and he knows himself that is how he acts. So when he blinks and sees the deep red blood still actively running down the face and neck of Sasuke in front of him, Kabuto is shocked to learn that he has no memory of making a decision to strike the boy. It just happened spontaneously, on instinct… and because he had something to protect.

Sasuke Uchiha reached for katana sheathed at his back, ready and willing to give the medic a taste of his own medicine. Kabuto retorted with a mere stoic gaze before simply turning around and walking away from the boy without so much as another word. Sasuke's hand slowly fell from the weapon then, an angry grunt escaping lips to only further accentuate the bloody, slowly-swelling mess of his face.

“Hn.”

Slipping his hands into his pockets casually, Kabuto sauntered off with his usual halcyon attitude, steps leisurely and calculated and lips twitching at the edges into a faint smirk. It was almost amusing, he thought, how one could change so easily in the blink of an eye…for the sake of someone else.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked it, don't forget to leave kudos and comments. They inspire me and make me smile.
> 
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